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陰の実力者になりたくて！ [Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute ]（Light Novel） #3
The Eminence in Shadow (Deutsche Light Novel): Band 3
„Ein Sturm zieht auf ... Ein Sturm des Blutes ...“
Nach Shadows spektakulärem Auftritt beim Bushin-Festival ist in der Königlichen Hauptstadt wieder Ruhe eingekehrt. Nun ruft ihn die sogenannte Müllhalde der Welt, in der sich die Bösen, die Reichen und die Starken tummeln – die Stadt der Gesetzlosen. Über sie regieren von gewaltigen Türmen aus drei große Juggernaut der Tyrann, Yukime die Füchsin und Elisabeth die Königin des Blutes. Shadow hat es auf Letztere abgesehen, doch mit dem Unheil, das sich in ihrem Schloss, dem Scharlachroten Turm, zusammenbraut, rechnet niemand. Der Rotmond erhebt sich, die Auferstehung eines legendären Urvampirs naht und der Welt droht eine verheerende Katastrophe wie jene vor einem Jahrtausend …
Obendrein bricht zwischen der Mitsugoshi-Handelsgesellschaft und der Großen Handelsallianz ein gnadenloser Kampf aus und Shadow stürzt sich mit ins Getümmel. Aber wer hätte gedacht, dass er sich gegen Mitsugoshi stellen würde? Was um alles in der Welt hat er nur vor?!
Nach Shadows spektakulärem Auftritt beim Bushin-Festival ist in der Königlichen Hauptstadt wieder Ruhe eingekehrt. Nun ruft ihn die sogenannte Müllhalde der Welt, in der sich die Bösen, die Reichen und die Starken tummeln – die Stadt der Gesetzlosen. Über sie regieren von gewaltigen Türmen aus drei große Juggernaut der Tyrann, Yukime die Füchsin und Elisabeth die Königin des Blutes. Shadow hat es auf Letztere abgesehen, doch mit dem Unheil, das sich in ihrem Schloss, dem Scharlachroten Turm, zusammenbraut, rechnet niemand. Der Rotmond erhebt sich, die Auferstehung eines legendären Urvampirs naht und der Welt droht eine verheerende Katastrophe wie jene vor einem Jahrtausend …
Obendrein bricht zwischen der Mitsugoshi-Handelsgesellschaft und der Großen Handelsallianz ein gnadenloser Kampf aus und Shadow stürzt sich mit ins Getümmel. Aber wer hätte gedacht, dass er sich gegen Mitsugoshi stellen würde? Was um alles in der Welt hat er nur vor?!
268 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 26, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 19, 2021
The curious and comical drama that follows Cid Kagenou wherever he ventures takes a deliberately darker turn in THE EMINENCE IN SHADOW #3. Not to say things don't work out. Things will always work out. That's kind of how this novel series goes. But interestingly enough, the antagonists Kagenou must combat actually have a history of painting a bloody swath across the landscape. Snoozing vampire queens? Vengeful collaborators? A criminal city on the brink? Kagenou adores the thrill of tossing everything into chaos. But for once, he has to step in and do the good and the obvious, even if it means coming to the party later than expected.
Kagenou tags along with his sister, Claire, to the Lawless City to complete a few tasks as designated by the Dark Knight Association. Rumor has it some rather nasty ghouls have shown up there. Rumor also has it there's some kind of vampire queen on the loose. Claire aims to make a name for herself and perhaps raise her "average" kid brother's station in the process. Kagenou, meanwhile, is looking to stir up a little trouble. Deliberately. Instead of waltzing into a docile situation and making things go haywire, Kagenou dons a mask and goes treasure and vampire hunting.
THE EMINENCE IN SHADOW #3 makes a good-natured effort at bringing Claire back into the series' main focus. The girl fell off the map in the previous volume, which was a shame, so it's good to know the author didn't forget she exists. Claire is tough but sensitive to the needs of others. She has the makings of a hardy, if gently suffering ally, and the author would do well to nurture her relationship with Kagenou as much as possible. Case in point: In this book, Claire's point of view gifts readers a surprisingly human perspective on the book's antihero. Kagenou has always had his sister's back. He never brags or complains about it. It's just something he does. And it's clear Claire is eternally thankful for this. Curiously, the evolution of Claire's character arc leaves readers pondering if she'll be more proactive moving forward. Such a twist of fate would prove more than a bit intriguing.
Elsewhere, the Mitsugoshi ladies are busy forming a world-changing conglomerate that will surely break the back of any one person, land owner, royal, or deity who stands in its way. At this point, the frustrating irony is such that Kagenou believes himself hopelessly impoverished while yet also the master of a group of militant elves who are now running their own bank. The second half of THE EMINENCE IN SHADOW #3 centers around Kagenou hunting down a rival syndicate to Mitsugoshi, consequently involving the introduction of paper money (capitalism?), a legacy of betrayal (a wolf-hybrid crime boss?), incipient romance (a fox lady?), and a handful of honest tears (Alpha?). Indeed, at one point, Alpha takes up arms against Kagenou, and the result is thoroughly compelling. The book's second-half story might actually work as a legitimate spy drama, were Kagenou not so willfully clueless.
But as with before, that's part of the running gag. Kagenou has it better than anyone, yet he keeps pursuing greatness in the shadows. He is beloved, yet he deliberately puts himself at a distance. His intuition for justice is intense, yet he always stumbles into doing the right things for the wrong reasons. The frustrating-but-true reality is such that would Kagenou to ever manifest any self-awareness that would threaten the superstructure he's built, this novel series would likely lose much of its charm.
THE EMINENCE IN SHADOW #3 firmly establishes the novel series' overall narrative as counter-expectational. That is to say, the story's dramatic irony necessitates readers know or easily intuit what's going to happen next, yet brashly hope against hope the author introduces a curious variable that might yet complicate the ensuing, evidentiary drama. The base narrative is entertaining on a fundamental level, but the reader yearns to be proven wrong, and thereby forced to engage the characters in increasingly compelling or complex circumstances.
One wonders if the secondary cast of characters is a bit too strong. For example, Alpha adores Kagenou. So much so that she nearly loses herself in her sorrow in the latter arc of the novel. Kagenou's tendency to leave the Shadow Garden in the dark, so to speak, grates the woman's nerves to the point where it gets personal (Alpha: "I'm not just a burden anymore. I'm strong enough to support you, to understand you," p. 215).
It would be wonderful to have an Alpha-focused novel (e.g., on earnestness), a Beta-focused novel (e.g., on devotion, both romantic and platonic), a Delta-focused novel (e.g., on valuing strength), and so forth. These ladies are all quite charming, and their flaws, while minor, leave room for further if unrealized characterization. Gamma has taken up combat practice, for example, and hilariously downs a high-level intruder (but not before tripping over herself and plowing through a concrete wall). Who wouldn't want to read a whole novel tracking Gamma's growth over the course of, say, several months?
THE EMINENCE IN SHADOW #3 hefts an intuited irony in that Kagenou has more fully realized the Mitsugoshi ladies are now taking everything he says literally, even when they shouldn't (e.g., listening to him talk about capitalism and then inventing their own baking system). But the book isn't so honest with itself that Kagenou will eschew his guilt and embrace the oddity of becoming a true "master" of his domain. Some readers may find this dreadfully annoying, while others may simply shrug their shoulders. Simply put, by now, readers know what they're getting into.
Kagenou tags along with his sister, Claire, to the Lawless City to complete a few tasks as designated by the Dark Knight Association. Rumor has it some rather nasty ghouls have shown up there. Rumor also has it there's some kind of vampire queen on the loose. Claire aims to make a name for herself and perhaps raise her "average" kid brother's station in the process. Kagenou, meanwhile, is looking to stir up a little trouble. Deliberately. Instead of waltzing into a docile situation and making things go haywire, Kagenou dons a mask and goes treasure and vampire hunting.
THE EMINENCE IN SHADOW #3 makes a good-natured effort at bringing Claire back into the series' main focus. The girl fell off the map in the previous volume, which was a shame, so it's good to know the author didn't forget she exists. Claire is tough but sensitive to the needs of others. She has the makings of a hardy, if gently suffering ally, and the author would do well to nurture her relationship with Kagenou as much as possible. Case in point: In this book, Claire's point of view gifts readers a surprisingly human perspective on the book's antihero. Kagenou has always had his sister's back. He never brags or complains about it. It's just something he does. And it's clear Claire is eternally thankful for this. Curiously, the evolution of Claire's character arc leaves readers pondering if she'll be more proactive moving forward. Such a twist of fate would prove more than a bit intriguing.
Elsewhere, the Mitsugoshi ladies are busy forming a world-changing conglomerate that will surely break the back of any one person, land owner, royal, or deity who stands in its way. At this point, the frustrating irony is such that Kagenou believes himself hopelessly impoverished while yet also the master of a group of militant elves who are now running their own bank. The second half of THE EMINENCE IN SHADOW #3 centers around Kagenou hunting down a rival syndicate to Mitsugoshi, consequently involving the introduction of paper money (capitalism?), a legacy of betrayal (a wolf-hybrid crime boss?), incipient romance (a fox lady?), and a handful of honest tears (Alpha?). Indeed, at one point, Alpha takes up arms against Kagenou, and the result is thoroughly compelling. The book's second-half story might actually work as a legitimate spy drama, were Kagenou not so willfully clueless.
But as with before, that's part of the running gag. Kagenou has it better than anyone, yet he keeps pursuing greatness in the shadows. He is beloved, yet he deliberately puts himself at a distance. His intuition for justice is intense, yet he always stumbles into doing the right things for the wrong reasons. The frustrating-but-true reality is such that would Kagenou to ever manifest any self-awareness that would threaten the superstructure he's built, this novel series would likely lose much of its charm.
THE EMINENCE IN SHADOW #3 firmly establishes the novel series' overall narrative as counter-expectational. That is to say, the story's dramatic irony necessitates readers know or easily intuit what's going to happen next, yet brashly hope against hope the author introduces a curious variable that might yet complicate the ensuing, evidentiary drama. The base narrative is entertaining on a fundamental level, but the reader yearns to be proven wrong, and thereby forced to engage the characters in increasingly compelling or complex circumstances.
One wonders if the secondary cast of characters is a bit too strong. For example, Alpha adores Kagenou. So much so that she nearly loses herself in her sorrow in the latter arc of the novel. Kagenou's tendency to leave the Shadow Garden in the dark, so to speak, grates the woman's nerves to the point where it gets personal (Alpha: "I'm not just a burden anymore. I'm strong enough to support you, to understand you," p. 215).
It would be wonderful to have an Alpha-focused novel (e.g., on earnestness), a Beta-focused novel (e.g., on devotion, both romantic and platonic), a Delta-focused novel (e.g., on valuing strength), and so forth. These ladies are all quite charming, and their flaws, while minor, leave room for further if unrealized characterization. Gamma has taken up combat practice, for example, and hilariously downs a high-level intruder (but not before tripping over herself and plowing through a concrete wall). Who wouldn't want to read a whole novel tracking Gamma's growth over the course of, say, several months?
THE EMINENCE IN SHADOW #3 hefts an intuited irony in that Kagenou has more fully realized the Mitsugoshi ladies are now taking everything he says literally, even when they shouldn't (e.g., listening to him talk about capitalism and then inventing their own baking system). But the book isn't so honest with itself that Kagenou will eschew his guilt and embrace the oddity of becoming a true "master" of his domain. Some readers may find this dreadfully annoying, while others may simply shrug their shoulders. Simply put, by now, readers know what they're getting into.
March 4, 2023
I do think it is absolutely hilarious we move into credit crisis and paper money creation as the big ploy of the second arc in this volume 3, I really absolutely do. However, while I still immensely enjoyed this volume, I am not entirely happy with either of the two arcs. The first one centred on the vampire Blood Queen Elisabeth is oddly disconnected from everything we thus far knew about this world - there's vampires and ghouls (did they always exist and just never come out until the red moon? Surely they have some power outside of it), there is an entire Lawless City (which I buy more into having remained irrelevant until now; though it is strange the guy invested in being the Eminence in the Shadow himself had no contact with or actually control over the inherently shadowy world of underground crime; though perhaps his age is showing here) - and appears to carry no further consequences whatsoever except to introduce Yukime, the nine-tailed fox spirit. Fan of hers, though, even if her entire character boils down to being sexy/a courtesan. While it's funny that she, too, has an odd past connection to Cid-as-kid, it makes him appear significantly more heartless, which I am not sure I like much. This ties in to his quasi-disregard of his sister in danger, even if he essentially decides she's skilled enough to be fine. The second arc, while funny for being almost entirely free of fighting and yet introducing a completely new fighting style for Cid, as well as focused on money and trade, at least remembers to turn us back toward the Cult (our main-ish antagonist). Although it arguably serves purposes of world-building, this second arc nevertheless feels a lot as if nothing is happening and we gain nothing to move the story forward.
There are many things I really enjoyed though, and the volume did make me laugh out loud in places. Once again Cid magically (accidentally) decides the most genius moves, even as he veers a little too much into "dropping ominous sentences" nowadays; the Shadow Garden girls, remaining a little too much in the background for my taste, get fleshed out quite a lot in the scenes where they do appear; we get a little bit more insight into the organisation of Shadow Garden; we find out that Alpha is becoming ever more OP (go girl); Cid's sister crosses the line of queerbaiting with an ancient vampire, which is fun. All in all though I am looking forward to volume 4 returning to our main story arcs (I hope).
There are many things I really enjoyed though, and the volume did make me laugh out loud in places. Once again Cid magically (accidentally) decides the most genius moves, even as he veers a little too much into "dropping ominous sentences" nowadays; the Shadow Garden girls, remaining a little too much in the background for my taste, get fleshed out quite a lot in the scenes where they do appear; we get a little bit more insight into the organisation of Shadow Garden; we find out that Alpha is becoming ever more OP (go girl); Cid's sister crosses the line of queerbaiting with an ancient vampire, which is fun. All in all though I am looking forward to volume 4 returning to our main story arcs (I hope).
May 7, 2021
Cid had no plans for his break, but his sister does---there's an operation being held by the knights at the Lawless City, and she figures it could serve as a good resume-builder for after he graduates. Cid, of course, has no plans for an exciting job. His whole goal is to be mundane---to better serve his shadow-ruler status. But the Lawless City sounds like fun. Pity his roleplay about a vampire uprising and a bloody moon are right on the money . . .
This is a story of two parts. The first half deals with the red moon rising, what it does to the vampires, and various historical and current outworking of that. Cid, in his efforts to live out his wildest fantasies, has both amazing success and hilarious failure at trying to manipulate the situation so he can make himself the starring role of the ongoing drama.
The second half, though, is where it gets a bit more uncomfortable. Cid's always treated the people around him more like props, but he's at least done right by the girls who formed themselves into his organization . . . until the temptation comes along to wreck everything they built. Of course, it all works out in the end, as his stupidity gets reinterpreted into genius once again, but that doesn't make me like the process very much.
Although I do really want to know what Delta dug up at the end. That seemed important (and since the author's note indicates the next book won't follow the web novel, maybe we'll actually get a chance to find out).
Overall this is still a great series, especially if you like misunderstanding comedies. Cid has fun, his sister ends up playing more and more into his delusions, and the particular crazy energy powering this rarely lets up. (I can't wait for the anime.) I rate this book Recommended.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
This is a story of two parts. The first half deals with the red moon rising, what it does to the vampires, and various historical and current outworking of that. Cid, in his efforts to live out his wildest fantasies, has both amazing success and hilarious failure at trying to manipulate the situation so he can make himself the starring role of the ongoing drama.
The second half, though, is where it gets a bit more uncomfortable. Cid's always treated the people around him more like props, but he's at least done right by the girls who formed themselves into his organization . . . until the temptation comes along to wreck everything they built. Of course, it all works out in the end, as his stupidity gets reinterpreted into genius once again, but that doesn't make me like the process very much.
Although I do really want to know what Delta dug up at the end. That seemed important (and since the author's note indicates the next book won't follow the web novel, maybe we'll actually get a chance to find out).
Overall this is still a great series, especially if you like misunderstanding comedies. Cid has fun, his sister ends up playing more and more into his delusions, and the particular crazy energy powering this rarely lets up. (I can't wait for the anime.) I rate this book Recommended.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
November 24, 2022
ok, it is a silly isekai power fantasy
I have to admit there is a twist in the third act of this five act play that I didn’t see coming and it still has me laughing.
It makes up for the over-the-top power fantasy that is the rest of the tale. As otherwise it is an isekai with all the tropes on full force. (Harem of girls to whom our MC can do no wrong regardless of intent? Check. A world in which a little modern knowledge is seen as genius and spirals beyond reason? Check.)
But people still read super man knowing he can’t fail and the same is here. Our hero is untouchable because of unexplained power and because he is as shallow as a puddle. But the fun comes from seeing how he is treated as deep as the ocean.
I have to admit there is a twist in the third act of this five act play that I didn’t see coming and it still has me laughing.
It makes up for the over-the-top power fantasy that is the rest of the tale. As otherwise it is an isekai with all the tropes on full force. (Harem of girls to whom our MC can do no wrong regardless of intent? Check. A world in which a little modern knowledge is seen as genius and spirals beyond reason? Check.)
But people still read super man knowing he can’t fail and the same is here. Our hero is untouchable because of unexplained power and because he is as shallow as a puddle. But the fun comes from seeing how he is treated as deep as the ocean.
June 14, 2022
Can't get enough!
As far as I'm concerned, the only real drawback of this series is that its releases are so far apart. At least for me. By the time the next book in the series is released I have to re-read all the previous books to remember what's happening. There are two reasons I mentioned this. First, I am complaining about an annoying fact about these books. Second, the books are so good that I actually don't mind rereading them. I'm sure if you like fantasy light novels and either enjoy, or at least don't mind isekai plot points, that you'll enjoy these books at least as much as I do.
As far as I'm concerned, the only real drawback of this series is that its releases are so far apart. At least for me. By the time the next book in the series is released I have to re-read all the previous books to remember what's happening. There are two reasons I mentioned this. First, I am complaining about an annoying fact about these books. Second, the books are so good that I actually don't mind rereading them. I'm sure if you like fantasy light novels and either enjoy, or at least don't mind isekai plot points, that you'll enjoy these books at least as much as I do.
October 28, 2022
Disliked economic parts/counterfeit money parts detail about credit and such, but I liked the end with Cid mistaken by the 7 Shadows as helping the group with telling them the location of the gold, and then after they steal the gold, Cid assumes its the other bad guy who took it. Pretty humorous, and I liked Delta being like a powerful puppy yet identifying Cid right away. Yukime's reveal as someone Cid saved before is fine too - I like her as an ally of Shadow Garden. Decent enough volume, and I enjoyed Cid's reputation rising as the 7 Shadows keep mistakenly assuming he's helping them when he's really doing his own solo thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2022
Unreasonably contrived plot arcs like all previous books. Still didn't manage to find the comedy.
Contains offensively bad writing like the following mid-battle expo-dump:
"As a squad leader and as someone who gives orders to two others, Number 664 can tell. John Smith's skill is born from a profound ability to envision the battlefield from above and a keen eye for understanding a fight's progression and predictiing its future development.
In other words, he's endowed with an incredibly sharp ability to think battles through."
Contains offensively bad writing like the following mid-battle expo-dump:
"As a squad leader and as someone who gives orders to two others, Number 664 can tell. John Smith's skill is born from a profound ability to envision the battlefield from above and a keen eye for understanding a fight's progression and predictiing its future development.
In other words, he's endowed with an incredibly sharp ability to think battles through."
February 3, 2022
Another great volume.
This volume is full of action and a brilliant plot. Wonderful characters and hilarious scenes written wonderfully. Once again the author does a great job connecting all the “misunderstandings” and “lost in translation” parts between all the characters, delivering a fun and excellent story. Is not easy to write an engaging story with an overpowered character, but the author does a great job here.
This volume is full of action and a brilliant plot. Wonderful characters and hilarious scenes written wonderfully. Once again the author does a great job connecting all the “misunderstandings” and “lost in translation” parts between all the characters, delivering a fun and excellent story. Is not easy to write an engaging story with an overpowered character, but the author does a great job here.
July 5, 2023
apparently author made some changes to the 2nd arc to make his motivation less malicious. also, appreciate the world-building aspects that came to fruition here.
Even so, 2nd arc still irks me. Cid's motivation and how he approached it was not reasonable and it magically was resolved in the end. not a big fan of that.
Even so, 2nd arc still irks me. Cid's motivation and how he approached it was not reasonable and it magically was resolved in the end. not a big fan of that.
April 30, 2021
Fate luck and mayhem
Love this series, Shadow keeps doing what he does best, making stuff up that turns up true, seriously this dudes a prophet or something. Loved this book and can't wait for the next instalment
Love this series, Shadow keeps doing what he does best, making stuff up that turns up true, seriously this dudes a prophet or something. Loved this book and can't wait for the next instalment
October 16, 2021
Los volúmenes anteriores ofrecieron una comedia buena y este no fue la excepción, un gran volumen que continúa la historia de Shadow haciendo cualquier mamada y el mundo le favorece XD Realmente espero ver qué pasará en el siguiente
October 28, 2022
too fast paced the uathor barely introduces a new plot point and 50 pages later he's awlked through the front door and solved it. While the concept is interesting and i know it's on purpose sometimes the cringe mastermind monologing is just too much
April 8, 2025
17 - 2025
Inilah kalau boss punya rencana rahasia sendiri dan beraksi diam-diam tanpa keinginan berkoordinasi dengan anak buah. Tapi... meski rencana memperkaya diri gagal, efeknya yang positif buat organisasi tetap membuatnya glowing di mata anak buah.
Inilah kalau boss punya rencana rahasia sendiri dan beraksi diam-diam tanpa keinginan berkoordinasi dengan anak buah. Tapi... meski rencana memperkaya diri gagal, efeknya yang positif buat organisasi tetap membuatnya glowing di mata anak buah.
April 27, 2021
One of the best fantasy series ever
Seriously. Excellent premise, well executed a d keeps you guessing until the end on how it will allplay out in a very unique and amusing way ;-).
Seriously. Excellent premise, well executed a d keeps you guessing until the end on how it will allplay out in a very unique and amusing way ;-).
April 11, 2023
Too much plot armor
November 5, 2023
Good enough
November 17, 2023
At times I got annoyed with this book, but again just by pretending he becomes the Creature he wants to be, Utterly amazing.
March 1, 2024
Otra obra maestra más , mi novela favorita por diferencia
July 1, 2024
This is a fun one. :)
January 8, 2025
Idk, if you gotten this far into the series, im just gonna say that you're foing to love this book as well! Cant wait to start on Volume 4
August 22, 2025
Call me guilty but I might just like dumb things
November 10, 2024
Time - 02:05:33 [approx.]
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews